We’re super excited to have Sabrina Antoniou join the Pure team as Group Account Director. As an expert hand in many high profile Sydney agencies for over two decades, she’s got oodles of experience, and more than a few stories to share.
You’ve done a lot in your 20+ years in advertising. What are the highlights? Funniest story: As a young account exec working on the Bega Cheese account, I was up against a killer TVC deadline. CAD had rejected our claim that Bega was 'Australia's favourite tasty cheese'. As a result, I had to stand on the main street of North Sydney for three hours with a tray of Bega cheese cubes and coerce everyone who took one to say that it was, indeed, their favourite.
Proudest moment: Working on the Fusian Noodles campaign for MercerBell, which won eight international awards and was the most awarded campaign in the agency's history. This success followed a precarious start, because we had used footage from a vintage martial arts film, and we had to track down and get talent release forms from people all over mainland China who had starred in the film nearly 50 years ago. It very nearly didn't go ahead, but for the team's belief in the idea.
Brush with fame: Launching the Virgin MasterCard and dancing the night away with Richard Branson.
What are your priorities as Group Account Director? • To understand my clients’ businesses as well as they do. • To earn their trust. • To never present clients with an idea that I'm not proud of. • To make them smile. • To work as hard as they do, as a true member of their team.
How do you think clients’ needs have changed in recent years?
These days, there’s just so much more noise to cut through. And it’s not only from brands themselves.
Consumers are taking ownership of the conversation, which means reputations can be sealed before a single ad goes to air.
Brands are being experienced through so many different mediums, and the consumer demand for seamlessness in these interactions means we have to work harder to connect authentically with our audience across every touch point.
What attracted you to Pure, having been at both digital and social agencies?
I like the fact that Pure is a tight-knit and nimble senior team. Being a smaller independent agency, it’s a chance to get back to the genesis of the brand and the idea.
As a specialist agency, it’s also an opportunity to put to good use my long history of experience on financial services.
By joining a team with such high creative standards, I feel like I have the chance to create work that stands out in a category that’s often thought of as bland, and makes a real difference to clients’ businesses. And that makes it all worthwhile.